Voting at the Polls
Voter ID
Prior
to voting, an election judge will ask you to show identification. This
can be any current ID that shows your name (for example, a valid
driver's license, school ID, state ID, or tribal ID) or a current
utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, voter confirmation notice,
government check or other government document that shows your name and
current address. Click here for more information.
Provisional Ballots
What is a Provisional Ballot?
It gives you a second chance to cast their vote on Election Day if you are denied a regular ballot for reasons such as –
- Your name does not appear on the voter rolls
- You have a problem with their voter identification, or
- You are at the wrong polling location.
When do they count?Provisional
ballots are counted starting the day after the regular election. If
election officials can verify that you are registered to vote in the
appropriate jurisdiction, your provisional ballot will count. A poll
worker can tell you how to find out if your ballot was counted. Many
states provide a number to call or website to check to find if your
ballot counted.
In 2006, over 650,000 or one percent of all voters ended up using a provisional ballot. Four of five were counted.
Does provisional voting work the same in all states?No. Provisional voting has different rules in most states.
What are the differences?
The biggest difference is when voters may use a provisional ballot.
The majority of states only allow you to use a provisional ballot if
you arrive at your correct precinct. Many other states like California
allow more expanded provisional voting. You may cast a provisional
ballot for any race so long as you’re voting in the right
jurisdiction. There’s a big difference here. The latter means you can
vote provisionally and have that vote count for a statewide race such
as Governor or a state ballot measure no matter where you are in the
state. For example suddenly out of town or unable to get home to your
neighorhood poll.
What about states with Election Day Registration?
States
with Election Day registration rely far less on provisional ballots.
The EDR states allow voters to correct a registration error at the
polls on election day. Ultimately Election Day registration is a better
solution to the problem that provisional ballots were designed to
address. In addition to EDR, universal or automatic voter registration
methods used in other democracies would greatly reduce the need for
provisional ballots.
Regardless
of what rules your state uses, we would encourage every voter who has a
problem at the polls to ask for a provisional ballot. It could well be
counted and may make a difference.
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For More Information on Provisional Ballots in Your State, visit:
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